Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T04:58:55.889Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Physical Optics at the Royal Society 1660–1800*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 January 2009

A. W. Badcock
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Synopsis

The years between 1660 and 1800 were important ones in the study of light. For most of the period the work, especially in this country, was largely dominated by the theories advanced by Newton; unfortunately the protagonists of these theories were much more rigid in their approach than was Newton himself. There was, in effect, almost a century of ‘rear-guard actions’ to maintain the corpuscular theory at all costs.

Fortunately, the advance of geometrical optics and the design of optical instruments was not retarded to a very great degree by this partisan approach. The workers in these fields were not, as a rule, too involved in speculation, and worked largely empirically.

Some of the modifications to the original corpuscular theory are interesting. Attempts were made to explain, with varying degrees of success, total internal reflection, dispersion, interference effects, diffraction and phosphorescence. Considerable speculation about the velocity of light occurred in connection with these topics. At the same time, wave theories never completely died out and, although they were not developed until the early part of the nineteenth century, their influence was felt even in this country.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal for the History of Science , Volume 1 , Issue 2 , December 1962 , pp. 99 - 116
Copyright
Copyright © British Society for the History of Science 1962

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 , J.B., x, 167–8.Google Scholar

2 Birch, T., History of the Royal Society of London, 4 vols., London, 1756–1757, vol. iii, p. 12.Google Scholar

3 Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1672, vii, 5084.Google Scholar

4 Birch, , op. cit., vol. ii, p. 448.Google Scholar

5 Birch, , op. cit., vol. iii, pp. 247–30.Google Scholar

6 , J.B., xxxv, 485Google Scholar; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1796, lxxxvi, 250, 273.Google Scholar

7 Birch, , op. cit., vol. iii, p. 257.Google Scholar

8 , J.B., xxvi, 847–50Google Scholar; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1770, lx, 417–40.Google Scholar

9 Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1768, lviii, 344.Google Scholar

10 , J.B., iv, 145Google Scholar; Waller, , The Posthumous Works of Robert Hooke, London, 1705, p. 133.Google Scholar

11 Hooke, , Micrographia, London, 1665, p. 56.Google Scholar

12 Birch, , op. cit., vol. iii, p. 11.Google Scholar

13 Birch, , op. cit., vol. iii, p. 194.Google Scholar

14 Huygens, , Traité de la Lumière, Leyden, 1690.Google Scholar

15 Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1727–1728, xxxv, 599.Google Scholar

16 Recueil des pièces que ont remportés les prix de l'Academie Française, tome iii, 1752.

17 , J.B., xxi, 374–5Google Scholar; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1753, xlviii, 269–70.Google Scholar

18 Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1792, lxxxii, 87–8.Google Scholar

19 Birch, , op. cit., vol. iii, p. 255Google Scholar; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1672, vii, 5084.Google Scholar

20 Birch, , op. cit., vol. iii, p. 260, pp. 297–301, p. 304Google Scholar; , J.B., vii, 274Google Scholar; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1693, xvii, 998–9Google Scholar; 1767, lvii, 60.

21 Hooke, , op. cit., pp. 57–60Google Scholar; Birch, , op. cit., vol. iii, pp. 10–13, P. 195.Google Scholar

22 Birch, , op. cit., vol. iii, p. 248.Google Scholar

23 Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1727–1728, xxxv, 601–2, 605–6.Google Scholar

24 Birch, , op. cit., vol. iii, p. 9.Google Scholar

25 Ibid., vol. iii, pp. 47, 50, 53.

26 Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1672, vii, 4087.Google Scholar

27 Birch, , op. cit., vol. iii, pp. 255, 262.Google Scholar

28 , J.B., xxx, 615–18.Google Scholar

29 Hooke, , op. cit., p. 68.Google Scholar

30 Birch, , op. cit., vol. iii, p. 268.Google Scholar

31 Ibid., vol. iii, pp. 298–301.

32 , J.B., xxix, 454.Google Scholar

33 , J.B., xxxv, 484–5Google Scholar; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1796, lxxxvi, 273.Google Scholar

34 , J.B., xxxvi, 168–71Google Scholar; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1797, lxxxvii, 418–21.Google Scholar

35 Birch, , op. cit., vol. ii, p. 322Google Scholar; Essays of Natural Experiments, Trans., Waller, London, 1684, p. 157.Google Scholar

36 Birch, , op. cit., vol. iii, pp. 9, 14.Google Scholar

37 Hooke, , op. cit., p. 56.Google Scholar

38 Birch, , op. cit., vol. iii, p. 340.Google Scholar

39 Ibid., vol. iv, p. 90; Waller, , op. cit., p. 77.Google Scholar

40 Birch, , op. cit., vol. iii, pp. 254, 263.Google Scholar

41 Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1677, xii, 893.Google Scholar

42 , J.B., viii, 200Google Scholar; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1694, xviii, 103.Google Scholar

43 , J.B., xi, 377.Google Scholar

44 Ibid., xiii, 284; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1727–1728, xxxv, 653.Google Scholar

45 Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1727–1728, xxxv, 384.Google Scholar

46 , J.B., xxi, 372–3Google Scholar; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1753, xlviii, 261–4.Google Scholar

47 , J.B., xxi, 199, 601–3Google Scholar; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1754, xlviii, 776–80.Google Scholar

48 , J.B., xxi, 373–5Google Scholar; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1753, xlviii, 264–70.Google Scholar

49 , J.B., xxxi, 274–85Google Scholar; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1784, lxxiv, 35–57.Google Scholar

50 , J.B., xxviii, 455–6Google Scholar; xxxiv, 514; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1776, lxvi, 504–8.Google Scholar

51 , J.B., xxxi, 565–72Google Scholar; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1785, lxxv, 190–212.Google Scholar

52 Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1796, lxxxvi, 254–5.Google Scholar

53 , J.B., xxxiv, 515Google Scholar; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1792, lxxxii, 270–82.Google Scholar

54 Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1792, lxxxii, 28–9.Google Scholar

55 Ibid., 1792, lxxxii, 29–47.

56 , J.B., xiii, 136.Google Scholar

57 Ibid., viii, 272, 309.

58 Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1746, xliv, 81.Google Scholar

59 , J.B., xxxiv, 412–7.Google Scholar

60 Ibid., viii, 272.

61 Ibid., x, 102–7; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1704–1705, xxiv, 1865–6Google Scholar; 1706–7, xxv, 2279–80.

62 , J.B., x, 564.Google Scholar

63 Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1792, lxxxii, 28–47.Google Scholar

64 , J.B., viii, 309.Google Scholar

65 Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1746, xliv, 81–91.Google Scholar

66 , J.B., xxvii, 61Google Scholar; xxviii, 454–5; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1771, lxi, 212.Google Scholar

67 , J.B., xxix, 452–5.Google Scholar

68 Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1698, xx, 306.Google Scholar

69 , J.B., vii, 84.Google Scholar

70 Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1704–1705, xxiv, 2131Google Scholar; 1706–7, xxv, 2279–80; 1708–9, xxvi, 71.

71 , J.B., xxi, 588.Google Scholar

72 Ibid., xi, 368–9.

73 Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1746, xliv, 81–91.Google Scholar

74 , J.B., xxix, 452–5.Google Scholar

75 Ibid., xxxi, 572; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1785, lxxv, 208–12.Google Scholar

76 Birch, , op. cit., vol. iii, p. 63.Google Scholar

77 Ibid., vol. iii, pp. 194–5, 268; Waller, , op. cit., pp. 186et seq.Google Scholar

78 Birch, , op. cit., vol. iii, pp. 268–9.Google Scholar

79 Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1695–1697, xix, 286–7.Google Scholar

80 Ibid., 1700–1, xxii, 904–5.

81 , J.B., xxx, 462Google Scholar; xxxii, 305–6; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1720, xxxi, 3Google Scholar; 1727–8, xxxv, 57; 1782, lxxii, 164; 1786, lxxvi, 500–7.

82 , J.B., xxiv, 455Google Scholar; xxvi, 722; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1761–1762, lii, 578–80Google Scholar; 1766, lvi, 262–9.

83 , J.B., xxx, 630Google Scholar; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1783, lxxiii, 6.Google Scholar

84 , J.B., xxxii, 305–6Google Scholar; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1786, lxxvi, 500–7.Google Scholar

85 , J.B., xxxvi, 545–6.Google Scholar

86 Ibid., xxxv, 471–85; xxxvi, 144–50; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1796, lxxxvi, 227–77Google Scholar; 1797, lxxxvii, 352–85.

87 , J.B., xxxvi, 287–91Google Scholar; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1798, lxxxviii, 311–31.Google Scholar

88 Birch, , op. cit., vol. i, p. 280.Google Scholar

89 Ibid., vol. iii, pp. 29–41; Hooke, , op. cit., pp. 47et seq.Google Scholar

90 Birch, , op. cit., vol. iii, pp. 247–304.Google Scholar

91 , J.B., xxi, 374–5Google Scholar; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1753, xlviii, 261–70.Google Scholar

92 Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1770, lx, 430.Google Scholar